Cigar of the Day

It's good to be writing about something so enjoyable for PJM. As many of you know, I am a proud cigar smoker. More to the point, I don't believe that grown men and women should be ashamed of the legal things they enjoy. I like a good cigar.

I write about cigars often. For Cigars In Review Magazine, I write about culture and politics. On culture, I write about the experience of a good cigar, the enjoyment of new lounges and locales and the people who partake in cigars. On politics, I write on the growing sickness of the nanny state to regulate cigars, the lies told about the industry and the massive differences between premium cigars and cigarettes. I also do a weekly cigar review on my radio show.

On the Tatler, I write about politics, the Tea Party and the disaster of Statism. On the Lifestyle Blog, I will be writing about cigars, scotch and steaks (depending on how many expense reports I can hand in!) I hope you'll join me.

Today's Cigar is the Illusione 888 Maduro. Not a normal cigar for me at all. I usually find comfort in the larger ring gauges - 56, 58, 60. But this is a 48. (The ring gauge refers to the diameter of the cigar. A 48 is 48/64 of an inch.) It's also a good length at 6 3/4".

This is a Nicaraguan cigar. Cigars come from all over -- Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and, of course, Cuba. I find myself drawn to Nicaraguan cigars. It's an overall flavor palette that works for me. The Illusione 888 Maduro also really well built. The draw is easy...on its way to effortless. The burn is nice and even, and doesn't require relighting if somewhat tended to.

But what is working for me on this is the maduro wrapper -- a dark, oily wrapper unafraid to show some vein. With the longer, thinner cigars -- like a lancero -- the flavor of the maduro wrapper has a chance to build in with the rest of the smoke. There is nothing harsh here. However, the maduro is where my comfort zone is, even if the size is not. The ash doesn't burn a beautiful white, but it produces great smoke, which is something I look for.

If you are just getting into cigar smoking, I don't recommend this cigar for you. The more you get in to this cigar, the more you feel it -- in a wonderful way -- but might be too much for someone just starting out. However, if you have a track record of cigars, then this is well worth the smoke. It is more expensive cigar, at $11 a stick (at one of my local shops in LA.) But overall, a great, worthwhile experience.